Shoe attaching means for ice skate construction



Nov. 24, 1964 s. KARDON 3,158,334

SHOE ATTACHING MEANS FOR ICE SKATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 25, 1962 www'United States Patent O 3,158,384 SHQE ATTACHING MEANS FR ICE SKATECONSTRUCTION Stanley Kardon, 3707 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. FiledFeb. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 175,157 1 Claim. (Cl. 2S011.3)

My invention relates to ice skates and more specifically relates to anovel adjustable blade securing means for a blade which is threadablysecured to the boot by screw means which can be re-positioned tore-position the blade with respect to the boot.

It is well known that the angle an ice skate blade forms with respect tothe shoe (the angle with respect to a line drawn along the central majoraxis of the sole of the shoe will affect the skating of an individualand has to be matched to the individual wearing the skate. This isparticularly important in the case of new skaters where an adjustment ofthis angle to their own particular skating qualities will considerablyimprove their skating. It is common to use threadable members such asscrews to secure the skate blade to a rigid leather sole on the boot.The wearer of the skate may then have the blade removed andre-positioned by professional instructors so that it will betteraccommodate the wearers skating qualities.

For the boot to receive the blade by threaded members, however, theoutsole of the boot must be of very rm leather which is relativelyexpensive as compared to ordinary sole material.

Where the ordinary rubber or composition rubber sole has been used forthe ice skate boot, and since this material will not rmly secure screwmeans, it is the practice in the industry to utilize tubular rivets forsecuring the the blade to the outsole. When rivets are used in thismanner, it will be apparent that a re-positioning of the blade withrespect to the shoe is impossible because of the obvious diicultiesinvolved in removing the tubular rivets, replugging the holes caused bythese rivets and reriveting the blade.

The present invention permits the securing of an ice skating blade to aboot by threaded members so that it may be adjusted as described abovewhereby a thin steel plate is positioned with respect to the outsole ofthe boot so that it will provide -a receiving means for the screws whichpass from the ice skate blade and through the outsole. Thus, the outsolemay now be formed of a rubber or composition rubber sole which isrelatively inexpensive and need not serve the function of rigidlyreceiving the securing screws.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a novelice skate assembly in which the blade is adjustably positioned withrespect to |the boot.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel ice skate ofinexpensive construction which has an adjustably positioned blade.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel ice skate inwhich a rubber or composition rubber sole is provided with adaptingmeans for receiving threaded members.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the drawings inwhich:l

FIGURE 1 shows a side view partially in cross-section of an ice skateformed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 shows a bottom view of the ice skate of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 2, I have illustrated therein a typicalboot which has, as shown partially in cross-section, an insole 11, amidsole or slipsole 12 and ice an outsole 13. The outsole 13 ispreferably formed of a rubber or composition rubber well known to thoseskilled in the art.

The ice skate 14, is then provided in the usual manner with a front faceplate 15 and a rear face plate 16 which are integral parts of blade 14.The rear face plate 16 has openings therein which receive screws 17, 18,19 and 20 as best shown in FIGURE 2. The screws 17 through 20 are theusual type of screws such as a wood screw which is threaded into theheel 21 which is secured-to the boot 10 in the usual manner.

The front face plate 15 is then typically provided with ten openingswherein each of these openings receives a screw such as screws 22through 31 best shown in FIGURE 2.

In the past, and where the screws 22 through 31 secure the face plate 15to outsole 13, it has been necessary to form outsole 13 of a very rigidand expensive leather. This is done since the outsole 13 serves the mainsupport or securing function for the screws 22 through 31.

Moreover, by using the screws it becomes possible to alter the angle ofthe blade 14 to an angle similar to that shown by dotted line 32 toadjust for some undesirable characteristic in a skaters performance.Thus, the screws are loosened and removed and the blade is thenre-positioned and the screws are re-secured.

Since the outsole material 13 has been so expensive it is obviously moreeconomical to use the rubber or composition rubber sole. This material,however, is unable to rigidly grasp the securing screws. Thus, the artturned to the use of tubular rivets in place of the screws when rubbersoles were used. Since tubular rivets were required, it is obvious aspointed out above that the blade can no longer be adjusted.

In accordance with the present invention, the outsole 13, is formed ofthe usual rubber or composition rubber material, and a plate 35 of rigidmaterial such as aluminum or steel is provided between the slipsole 12and rubber outsole 13. The aluminum plate 35 can, for example, have athickness of 0.020" and is held in position between the slipsole 12 andoutsole 13 by the sole stitching shown in FIGURE 2 as stitching 36. Therplate 35 can be a dat plate without any openings whatsoever or may havesmall openings which will easily receive a steel screw.

Thus, after manufacture of the shoe, the blade is secured to the boot ina `symmetric manner by threading the screws 22 through 31 into thealuminum plate 12 as illustrated in FIGURE l. The screws 22 through 31will be of sufficient size to normally protrude slightly above the topof the plate 35. Thus, the wearer will not feel the screws since he isprotected by `at least a substantial portion of the thickness of theinsole 11.

If now it is desired to re-position the blade to a line such as line 32of FIGURE 2, it is only necessary to remove the various screws,re-position the blade and resecure the screws with the screwspenetrating the plate 12 at new positions.

It will also be noted that in accordance with the invention, that theblade is more securely held to the shoe since there is now a desirablerigid connection between the front face plate 15 and rigid metallicplate 35.

Although I have described preferred embodiments of.

my novel invention, many variations and modiications will now be obviousto those skilled in the art, and I prefer therefore to be limited not bythe specific disclosure herein but only by the appended claim.

The embdoiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege orproperty is claimed are delined as follows: An ice skate; said ice skatecomprising a boot and a J blade; said boot 'having an insole and anoutsole; said blade 'having a front face plate; said front face platebeing secured to the outer surface of said outsole; a plurality ofself-tapping threaded members; said front face plate having a pluralityof openings therein for `receiving respective self-tapping threadedmembers of said plurality of said self-tapping members; a rigid platebeing positioned between said insole and said outsole; said pluralityrof said 'selftapping threaded members extending from said front faceplate, fthrough lsaid outsole and into said rigid plate 'Tfor rigidlysecuring said blade to saidboot; said plate being o'f relatively thinaluminum;

lsaid outsole 'being of a material characterized in being unable to'rigidly retain said self-tapping threaded members; said self-tappingthreaded members being remov- 15 able and reconnectable through saidoutsole and into said plate to adjust the position of said blade.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 380,508Munger Apr. 3, v1888 672,724 Vogt Apr. 23, -1901 1,094,434 Golden Apr.28, 1914 10 2,177,155 lShapiro Oct. 24, 1939 2,244,719 Mansfield June10, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS A81,561 Sweden Sept. 25, 1934- 22.6898 4GreatBritain Jan. 8, 1925

